Picture a Day #82 – Let me eat Cake…I mean Bread!

Posted on March 22, 2012 by joanienaz

It’s not exactly the time of year when thoughts turn to pumpkin. But I used my pumpkin bread recipe to make zucchini bread, and I thought it might be nice to make pumpkin bread. But I also wanted to make cookies. So I created a new recipe. It’s technically bread (the recipe in Fanny Farmer says so). But after adding cocoa powder and chocolate chips, it tastes more like cake. Anyway, I think it’s just what the March winds called for in the way of comfort food. You decide for yourselves!

Chocolate Pumpkin Raisin Nut Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together 3/4 cup unbleached wheat flour, 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sweet ground chocolate and cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.

Mix together 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup water, and 2 beaten eggs. Add this to the first mixture, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in 3/4 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup walnuts, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Pour batter into an oiled 13 x 9 x 2 inch glass baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool. Cut into 24 pieces.

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Picture a Day #81 – Spring Sunshine

Posted on March 21, 2012 by joanienaz

Welcome to spring! If you are in my neck of the woods, yesterday was the Vernal Equinox, the first official day of spring, and there was no sign of the sun. So I decided to create my own sunshine, at least on paper. Still no sign of sun today, so here goes!

Yellow has never been a  favorite color of mine. But a pale, buttery yellow can be lovely. It is a starting point for me, and leads to other fabulous shades. If you have been watching both of my blogs you will notice the presence of yellow. I guess I’ve been anxious for the sunshine lately!

I began this painting with a Cadmium Yellow graded wash. Then I added layers of Ultramarine.

I had in mind to make this a sunrise landscape. I was thinking hills with trees. My husband saw sand dunes. We’ll see how it evolves…

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Picture a Day #80 – Welcome to Spring!

Posted on March 20, 2012 by joanienaz

I took this photo on Sunday, when the sun was actually showing itself, hence the shadow. Today it drizzled all day. It’s a bit goofy, but isn’t that what spring is all about?

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Picture a Day #79 – Revisiting My Drawing

Posted on March 19, 2012 by joanienaz

Almost three weeks ago I began a colored pencil still life of apples and a pear, with the intention of using watercolor.

I spent most of yesterday thinking about my color scheme. Today I revisit that drawing with two more steps in the process. I have added a background, and put down the first layer of color.

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Picture a Day #78 – Recipe of the Week

Posted on March 18, 2012 by joanienaz

Today a new week has begun. Looking back on my frenzy of baking during the rainy weather this past week, I have decided to share the recipe that I liked the best.

This began as a pumpkin bread recipe in my old Fannie Farmer cookbook. The recipes in it are very traditional. I like to start with them, although I have other cookbooks, and then I adjust to suit my frame of mind. The recipe that I ended up with is a cross between zucchini bread and carrot cake. You could even add or substitute coconut and pineapple.

Carrot Zucchini Apple Walnut Mini Loaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 3/4 cup unbleached wheat flour, 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Grate 1 medium apple, 1 medium zucchini, and a dozen mini carrots (total of grated ingredients is 2 cups). Add this to the first mixture with 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, and 3/4 cup golden raisins. Mix until just blended.

Bake in four 2 cup Pyrex glass bowls for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and remove from bowls. Serve warm or refrigerate. This bread freezes well.

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Picture a Day #77 – A “Green” Message for St. Patirck’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2012 by joanienaz

OK, this Forest Corners project that I began on Thursday is finished! I got a little carried away…but I think I made my point. I have spent a lot of time in the forest, and this abstract composition is my attempt to capture all of the elements in a unique presentation.

I love trees. But like many other creatures, I prefer the margins of the forest where it touches meadow, water, and sky. I decided to add a few beastly inhabitants to this ecosystem, because after all, just because we often don’t notice them, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

When I am on the road, and driving through the lush forested mountains of the northern California coast, I often try to imagine all of the creatures that are under that amazing forest canopy that blankets the mountains. It’s easy to forget about what is out of sight!

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Picture a Day #76 – Forest Corners

Posted on March 16, 2012 by joanienaz

You may need to use your imagination to see the forest in this corner study. It is still a work in process. I wanted to try a landscape of sorts.

I am still considering whether or not to add collage to this. Today I will work on it some more, and then decide!

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Picture a Day #75 – When It Rains I Paint!

Posted on March 15, 2012 by joanienaz

It’s been a wet week. Usually I feel more like painting on a sunny day, but I am so cooped up that I have resorted to an art-a-thon! Today I began one painting, and finished two others. Since I’m still gazing at two of them, I will post the one that is absolutely finished (I hope).

I began this one awhile back. Here is my first post on it two weeks ago, and here is last week’s post. I was working on this last night, trying to fix the blotchy background. Then I added a couple of finishing touches this afternoon.

Tomorrow: more corners with a twist!

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Picture a Day #74 – Home Made Pizza!

Posted on March 14, 2012 by joanienaz

If I had known I was going to post this today, I would have baked my pizza in a circle. For my Pi Day post check out my other blog!

There are times when my husband and I like to make pizza at home. He likes his one way and I like mine another, so we customize it. Below are my selections: mushrooms, zucchini, and red bell pepper. We use a simple recipe for the dough:

Mix 4 cups flour with 4/3 cups warm water, 1 packet rapid rise dry yeast, and 6 tablespoons olive oil. Kneed the dough for 8-10 minutes, adding flour as desired, until it is consistent. Let it rise in a covered bowl until double in bulk. Roll out the dough with a little extra flour, and it will fit into two 10″ by 15″ jelly roll pans. This will make fairly thin crust pizza.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Top the dough with your favorite pizza or marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and other toppings as desired. Bake for 10-15 minutes, cool slightly. This is also great for a family gathering, with everyone pitching in and sharing the fun of building their own pizza and enjoying the results!

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Picture a Day #73 – Collage Cover Art

Posted on March 13, 2012 by joanienaz

Six weeks ago I published my first novel as an e-book on Smashwords and Amazon. Now I am faced with the task of marketing it. When I considered the cover of my book, which not only represents my work but inspires others to read it, I decided to try collage. This project was the beginning of my collage adventure.

I began with a watercolor background which suggested the ocean, making two of these so that I could decide which one worked best. Then I cut out the silhouette of a ukulele, which figures prominently in my story, from a brown paper bag (one of my favorite art materials). This was attached to the background with clear acrylic medium. Flowers cut out of handmade papers and other printmaking leftovers create a Hawaiian lei. What says ukulele more decidedly than a Hawaiian lei?

In Photoshop, I added the title and my name. Here is the finished product! Click on the image below to learn more about my novel, and read a free sample.

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